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Post subject: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 9:33 am
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Hi!

I'm a guitar nerd from Germany but no Fender expert, so I hope for some help from people who are more familiar with Fender history. Today I saw a fresh Buy It Now for a "Fender Stratocaster" for 440 Euros on German Ebay, from a business seller who obviously has no clue about guitars, but it means 14 days money back, so I grabbed it. The description just mentioned "collectors item" and "back cover is missing".

Here are the pictures from the auction:
Image
Image
Image

The serial number is 30273 which should point towards 1959 but there are characteristics like the 2 string trees, the missing "Contour Body" logo and the unstamped saddles which makes me wonder if this is a real Fender at all. It doesn't look like a cheap knockoff either... the pickguard screws are in the right place, the neck looks well made and its wood seems to be high quality. So could that be a Fender? Maybe a reissue model? Or have someone tried to build a replica?

Thanks and best regards!


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Post subject: Re: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 9:33 am
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Two more pics:

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Post subject: Re: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 9:58 am
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Looks like a partscaster to me.
The pickguard is a '60 to '63 style eleven hole one.
Fender didn't do 22 frets back then. They didn't do one piece maple necks as standard either.
The second string tree is not correct, but it's not inknown for players to add one at a later point.

Without a detailed view of the disassembled parts (labels, stamps, reverse view of the pickguard, etc.) it's difficult to draw any conclusions.

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Post subject: Re: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 10:18 am
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I do believe in fairytales and such, but I do not believe anyone could buy a 1959 Fender Stratocaster from ebay and from a seller who obviously has no clue about guitars for €440.


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Post subject: Re: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 11:14 am
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Thanks for the info! Completely overlooked the 22 frets. Can't wait to take her apart.

Oh and I already had some fairytale-like moments on ebay but yes, this would have been too good to be true. Guess the price wasn't that random.


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Post subject: Re: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 5:11 pm
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The tuners are the big giveaway to me that it is fake. They have slots, but no hole in the slot, instead they have holes that go through the posts. I have never seen anything like that before.

On those vintage type tuners, the hole for the string is supposed to go down into the post.

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Post subject: Re: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 6:00 pm
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Yes, noticed that too. However I think these are locking tuners. I once had a strat with similar designed tuners and the slot was actually a screw to fix the string in the hole. You can also see the strings holding with just one winding.


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Post subject: Re: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 10:05 pm
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Even with the horrible pictures, I can clearly see that it is not a Fender neck, and the decal has been put onto this "whatever' brand neck.

Plainly and simply a fake. :x

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Post subject: Re: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 2:27 am
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orvilleowner wrote:
The tuners are the big giveaway to me that it is fake. They have slots, but no hole in the slot, instead they have holes that go through the posts. I have never seen anything like that before.

On those vintage type tuners, the hole for the string is supposed to go down into the post.

Agree totally. Those are not fender tuners locking or otherwise! :D


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Post subject: Re: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 4:33 am
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I can't see the tuners clearly, but there are Fender locking tuners with a "fake" slot in the top of the post and a regular hole in the post. The tuners I refer to were stock on the Classic Player '50s, they look different now on the Fender site. I believe that they were called "Vintage Locking Tuners", and looked like Klusons from the back.

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Post subject: Re: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 8:46 am
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As Shimmilou says http://www.fender.com/guitar-bass-parts ... -nickel-6/
I suspect that Gotoh make them :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 10:12 am
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Thanks for the link to those tuners.

Unfortunately, those don't look anything like the tuners that are on the OP's guitar.

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Post subject: Re: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 1:14 pm
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Gee i stand corrected shimmilou and apologies to the op those could be tuners off a classic player 50s though it is pretty hard to tell from the one pic since they dont appear to have the same string groove
The strat itself is not one however so still in my mind a partsocaster at best not that there is anything wrong with that. 500 dollars better spent elsewhere maybe! :D


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Post subject: Re: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 4:34 pm
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Sooo, the origins of this strat will remain a mystery. Today the seller sent me a weird message how the pics of the ad got messed up with another auction of a Mexican Fender and I should check if everything is alright with the guitar upon arrival... I searched his ended listings and there was indeed a canceled auction for a black Mexican strat with a €450 BIN. I wrote back and asked what he meant, because nothing seemed to be mixed up at all.
He said some experienced musician expressed doubts of its genuineness, so he only has the option to send me the Mex instead or to cancel the transaction.
I suppose the seller planned to send me the Mexican Fender to let it look like a mistake but I don't know what exactly happened. Maybe he was afraid that I could demand a real one as soon as I find out its fake. Or maybe some other ebay member wrote him after I bought it... or made a better offer, thinking this could be a '59 Fender.

However, I canceled the purchase and did not ask if I still could have the one I bought. Your input has been very helpful guys and I thought its not worth the time to pack it up and send it back again.

Thanks again!


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Post subject: Re: Real Fender or replica?
Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 9:37 pm
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angizier wrote:
However, I canceled the purchase and did not ask if I still could have the one I bought. Your input has been very helpful guys and I thought its not worth the time to pack it up and send it back again.


Wise move.

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